Key mechanism



March 4, 1941. G. A. UNGAR KEY MECHANISM Filed March 4, 1958 IN VENT OR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y KEY MECHANISM Application March 4, 1938, Serial No. 193,837

7 Claims.

My present invention relates to novel key constructions, and it is particularly directed to improvements in keys for securing rotary slotter knives to a shaft.

In one device to which this invention may be applied, slotting knives in the form of ring-disks are placed upon heads or carriers located on a rotatable shaft at specified distances apart. The position of the slotters are secured by set or look screws passing through a key to the shaft. The set screws are reached by a suitable wrench passed between two of the slotting knives forming the female side of the knife. Such an arrangement has been found necessary in order to permit placing the slotter knives in closely spaced relation.

In the preferred illustration, the slotter knives are used for slotting corrugated paper boards or partitions for paper boxes. In the course of manipulation of a large number of such boards, the slot or hollow hexagon hole used for inserting a turning instrument or wrench for the set screw wears out or becomes filled with accumulated glue and paper, making it necessary to dismantle the knives from the heads when it is desired to insert new look screws. This is ordinarily a slow and tedious operation owing to the multiplicity of parts involved. I

My present invention is directed to a key construction whereby it is possible to bodily remove the lock screws when it is necessary to clean them for resetting or to replace the lock-screw when worn, simplifying a heretofore slow and expensive operation.

It is accordingly an object of my present invention to provide a novel key construction.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a novel means for removing the key and the set-screw from locked position on a shaft.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means for rapid removal and replacement of Worn or broken set-screws from locked position on a shaft. I

Other objects of my invention will become ap parent in the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an end sectional view of a shaft with a disk in place, showing the relationship of the disks with the material to be cut or formed, and. the novel key unit.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the key unit taken along 2-2 of Figure l, with the key in locked position.

Figure 3 is a partial view corresponding to (01. air-52.05)

Figure 2, showing the key and set-screw out of locked position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the novel key and set-screw unit.

Referring now to Figure 1, a first knife unit, 5 consisting of the semi-circular segments l and H, is mounted on rotatable shaft I2, by means of clamping head l3 and screws 20. The blades III and H are fitted against an annular projec- I tion lid of clamping head 13. A slot 15 cut into shaft i2, and one at I cut into clamping head 13, form a keyway, which as is well known, when fitted with a suitable key, prevents the turning of the knife unit Iill I with respect to the shaft A second knife unit |d-l l' is attached to head i3 by the screws to cooperate with knife i0-| I. These parallel knife groups form a female cutting edge for knife segment IE5, attached to head ll with clamping screws W as shown in Figure 1. This arrangement is for cutting slots into the material is fed therebetween.

A third pair of blades iii" and H" is also attached to head l3 by the screws 20. Knives l0" and II are spaced from knives Hl'l i by spacing ring 26; the thickness of ring 26 is less than that of the flange projection lid of head l3. When it is desired to cut slots narrower than 43a, it is only necessary to replace male segment 16 in head I! with a knife segment of approximately the same thickness as ring 26 and arrange the thinner blade segment to cooperate with blades I0 and II and I0" and II". It is accordingly possible to readily change to either of the two standard slot sizes.

In accordance with my invention, a simple means is provided for simultaneously removing the set-screw and key together, without dismantling or otherwise disturbing the setting and alignment of the various cutting disks. The principle of my invention will be better understood from an examination of the perspective view thereof, Figure 4. The key I9 is shown provided with a spring clip 2|. Key I9 is champhered at 3! to allow for the depression of spring H in a manner to be described. A block 23 is fitted over the head of the lock-screw 22. Block 23 is provided with a hole 32 for permitting the insertion of a suitable screw-turning tool to the head of screw 22.

Block 23 fits into a recess 23' in blade l0 and a recess 23" in blade 10. Block 23 presses against blades l0 and H and provides a firm abutment for set screw 22 in clamping key Hi against shaft 55 I2. A portion 21 is cut away on the head I3 above the key-way I5 therein to permit insertion of the projection portion screw 22 from the right end. The length of the slot 21 fixes the position of the key I9 in the knives, and proper snapping of the spring clip 2| into position against the shoulder of the clamping head I3 as shown in Figure 2. The spring 2| normally locks the key I9 from transverse displacement.

When the key is in position as shown in Figure 2, one end of block 23 abuts spacer ring 26. When the lock screw 22 is turned in such a direction that it moves upwards, block 23 and the key I9 are forced to be seated tightly in the keyway I5. Block 23 acts as a protection to the head of the screw 22 to prevent unequal torsional forces or excessive wear on the top surface of screw 22. I

As long as the hollow hexagonal wrench hole 30 in the head of set-screw 22 remains unclogged,

the screw 22 may be loosened in the ordinary manner.

Should the wrench hole 3!] become clogged or worn, spring 2| is depressed and the key I9 driven out of the keyway, and the lock screw can be quickly replaced.

Having described a preferred modification and application for my invention, I am aware that modifications may be mad-e therein which fall within the broader spirit and scope thereof, and

furthermore that its. application is not limited to slotter-heads, but is generally applicable where keyway constructions are used; I therefore do not intend to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

.1. A shaft and a member secured thereto; a key mechanism for securing said member on said shaft to prevent rotation of said member with respect to said shaft comprising a key; keyways in said member and said shaft comprising opposed slots registerab-le with each other; said key being insertable in said keyways; spring means associated with said key for holding said key in position against transverse displacement; and means for securing said key in position including a screw device cooperative with said key.

2. A shaft and a member secured thereto; a key mechanism for securing said member on said shaft to prevent rotation of said member with respect to said shaft comprising a key; keyways in said member and said shaft comprising opposed slots registerable with each other; said key being insertable in said keyways; spring means associatedv with said key for holding said key in position against transverse displacement; and means for securing said key in position including a screw device cooperative with said key and a block arranged to coact with the head of said screw device. v

3. A key mecanism comprising a key; means associated with said key for holding said key in position against transverse displacement; and means for locking said key in position including a lock-screw threaded in said key, and a block arranged to coact with the head of said lockscrew having an opening above a gripping recess in said lock-screw.

block arranged to coact with the head of said lock-screw device, said block being positionable in a groove in said member whereby said lockscrew device exerts pressure between said key and said block when properly rotated to lock said key in position.

5. A key mechanism for securing a member to a shaft comprising a key adapted to fit into opposed slots in said shaft and member, having a depressed region therein; spring means asso ciated with said key opposite the depressed region being adapted to grip said member for holding said key in position against transverse displacement on said shaft; and means for holding said key in. position between said shaft and member including a lock-screw threaded in said key and a block arranged to coact with the head of said lockscrew.

6. A key mechanism for securing a member to a shaft comprising a key adapted to fit into opposed slots in said shaft and member, having a depress-ed region therein; spring means associated with said key opposite the depressed region being adapted to grip said member for holding said key in position against transverse displacement on said shaft whereby the gripping action of said spring means may be released by depressing the spring means towards the champhered region; and means for holding said key in posi-- tion between said shaft and member including a lock-screw threaded in said key and a block arranged to coact with the head of said lock-screw,

said block being positionable in a groove in said member whereby said lock-screw exerts pressure between said key and said block when properly rotated to lock said key in position.

7. A key mechanism for securing a member .to a shaft comprising a key adapted to fit into .opposedfslots in said shaft and member, the

upper surface of said 'k-eybeing champhered across one corner thereof; a plate for holding said key in position against transverse displacement on said shaft, said plate having a transversely projecting edge adapted to grip said member,

said projecting edge being positioned opposite the champhered corner whereby the gripping action of said plate may be released by depressing the projecting edge towards the champhered region;

groove in said member whereby said screw device exerts pressure between said key, and said block when properly rotated to lock said key in position.

GUSTAVE A. 'U'NGAR. 

